From the Blog

When it comes to wedding planning, even the most budget savvy brides and grooms tend to get carried away. A few extravagances are good, but all guests really want is to see the two of you beaming with love. With their wealth of experience from working with suppliers, event planners are the right people to help you stay within your wedding budget. We’ve asked two local planners for their top tips on planning a wedding on a budget with ease and combined them with some of our own.

1. Skip the formal affair

The less formal your wedding, the less expensive it will be. Of course, you can still splurge on the elements that are most important to you, but be more frugal elsewhere. Choose a bargain venue with a spectacular view, borrow your dress from your mom or grandma, switch the champagne for Prosecco and forget the RSVP card. Ask your guests to RSVP with a quick email or text instead. Just make sure you never compromise on your photographer. It’s better to have a good one for a short time than to have an amateur hang around all day.

2. Shorten the guest list

Limiting your guest list is crucial to cutting wedding costs, however it’s the most difficult area for the bride and groom to agree on. Start by inviting only friends who know both you and your fiancé, co-workers you’re friends with outside of the office and plus-ones you’ve previously met.

3. Keep the food and drinks simple

Don’t be afraid to opt for a brunch or appetizer only wedding and let your cake do double-duty as dessert. Make sure you’re guests understand what is on the menu though. Save a little extra cash by serving a signature cocktail in addition to just beer and wine. It’s a great way to add to your wedding theme and you can buy in bulk to save costs.

4. “I do” it yourself

The internet is brimming with crafty inspirations for a budget wedding and Marilse Statie-Texeira Brazao from Celebrations! encourages couples to choose the DIY route. “In addition to finding less costly alternatives, I always suggest some DIY projects. Handling some of the elements of your wedding yourself not only saves money, but gives your wedding a personal touch. They empower the couple and involve their family members and friends in the preparations.” Whether you bake cookies as favours, make your own invitations or thank you cards, it’s all money in the bank.

5. Hire a wedding planner

Planners can help you set up a budget and they know exactly which vendors are flexible and able to work with your particular budget (for more on the added value of hiring a planner, click here). Gwen and Ryan from Unique Planners have their clients fill out a priority list. “Anything that’s not on this list will be kept to a minimum or eliminated in order to fit the budget,” they say. Next they scour their network for vendors who can deliver quality for a small budget. One thing they know to be true: “If the service and the thoughtful details are in place, it will be a perfect wedding… regardless of the budget.”